Senior defenseman Jake Mergen scored two goals and assisted on another to lead the Superior High School boys hockey team to a 9-0 win over the Webster Area Blizzard in a WIAA regional final game Thursday night at Wessman Arena.
Superior also got goals from seven other players, including Daniel Litchke, Nolan Holcombe, David Dalbec, Kellen McCoshen, Caleb Dushkin, Taylor Olson and Steven Mikel.
Senior defenseman Chris Bishop helped out the most in the assist department with three helpers, while Litchke and Holcombe also assisted on a pair of goals each.
The Spartans will take a 14-7-1 record into Tuesday's sectional semifinal game against River Falls, a 3-2 winner over Amery. The game begins at 7 p.m. at Wessman Arena.
Superior dug into its bag of tricks to score the only goal of the first period.
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Just as Superior won a face off to the right of goaltender Joel Pettingill, a Spartan player sprinted to the bench while Litchke jumped on the ice through the far gate where he took a long pass from Bishop, broke in alone on the Blizzard goal and put a backhander past goaltender Thomas Labatt.
Holcombe also assisted on Litchke's goal that came with 5:40 left in the opening period.
The Spartans outshot the Blizzard 12-4 in the opening period with Pettingill's biggest save coming on a breakaway attempt by Chris Olson with 2:08 on the clock.
The Spartans didn't waste any time in the second period as Holcombe put the finishing touches on a 2-on-1 breakaway just 56 seconds in. Litchke and Dushkin assisted on Holcombe's 12th goal of the year.
The Spartans quickly made it 3-0 when Labatt made a save on a Joel Broberg shot, lost sight of the puck and Dalbec, a junior defenseman, came swooping in to poke home the loose puck for his first varsity goal.
Mergen's power-play goal, with help from Gerald Mikel, made it 4-0 at 7:25.
It went to 5-0 three minutes later when McCoshen scored during a 5-on-3 advantage with assists from Litchke and Bishop.
Dushkin's eighth goal of the year, with help from Brett Bukowski and Holcombe, made it 6-0 at 14:46.
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The Spartans added yet another goal when Olson tipped a Mergen shot past Labatt with 1:01 left in the second period. Kyle Wilander also assisted on Olson's sixth goal of the year.
Superior didn't let up in the third period as Steven Mikel scored at 8:34 with a helper form Bishop and Mergen's second goal of the game came unassisted at 9:25.
Pettingill picked up his second shutout of the year with a six-save night.
Labatt and Brandon Roufs combined to make 45 saves for Webster, whose season ends at 13-10-1.
SPARTAN SPIN: Superior defeated Webster 11-1 in last year's regional final. The score in that game was also Superor 1, Webster 0 after the first period. ... Tuesday's game may be heard locally on WNXR 107.3 FM.
Webster Area 0 0 0 -- 0
Superior 1 6 2 -- 9
First period: 1. SHS, Daniel Litchke 9 (Chris Bishop 19, Nolan Holcombe 8), 11:20.
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Penalties: None.
Second period: 2. SHS, Holcombe 12 (Litchke 7, Caleb Dushkin 8), 0:56. 3. SHS, David Dalbec 1 (Joel Broberg 4, Kellen McCoshen 13), 3:09. 4. SHS, Jake Mergen 2 (Gerald Mikel 7), 7:25 (pp). 5. SHS, McCoshen 9 (Litchke 8, Bishop 20), 10:40 (5-on-3). 6. SHS, Caleb Dushkin 8 (Brett Bukowski 3, Holcombe 9), 14:46. 7. SHS, Taylor Olson 6 (Mergen 5, Kyle Wilander 6), 15:59.
Penalties: Jaime Robb, Webster (tripping), 6:07. McCoshen, SHS (interference), 7:46. Matt Larson, Webster (tripping), 8:48. Steven Labatt, Webster (interference), 9:59. Ben Jensen, Webster (slashing), 11:52.
Third period: 8. SHS, Steven Mikel 4 (Bishop 21), 8:34. 9. SHS, Mergen 3 (unassisted), 9:25.
Penalties: Bishop (elbowing), 1:05. Robb, Webster (high sticking), 15:48.
Saves: Thomas Labatt, Webster 11-16-x--27. Brandon Roufs, Webster x-x-18-18. Joel Pettingill, SHS 4-2-0--6.
